This invention relates to the production of glycols and amines. More particularly, the invention relates to a cyclic process for preparing monoalkyleneglycols, monoalkanolamines and alkylenediamines from ammonia or ammonium carbonate and an alkylene carbonate.
The production of monoalkyleneglycols is usually carried out by reacting water with an olefin oxide: ##STR1## This method suffers from the disadvantage that dialkyleneglycols and trialkyleneglycols are made as by-products: ##STR2##
The production of monoalkanolamines is usually carried out by reacting ammonia with an olefin oxide: ##STR3## This method suffers from the disadvantage that dialkanolamines and trialkanolamines are made as by-products: ##STR4##
Alkylenediamines are usually prepared by the reaction of ammonia or ammonium hydroxide with alkylene dichlorides: EQU 4NH.sub.3 +ClCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 Cl.fwdarw.H.sub.2 NCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 +2NH.sub.4 Cl (7) EQU 4NH.sub.4 OH+ClCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 Cl.fwdarw.H.sub.2 NCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2 +2NH.sub.4 Cl+4H.sub.2 O (8)
This method suffers the disadvantage of making ammonium chloride (NH.sub.4 Cl) as a by-product.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method of producing monoalkyleneglycols substantially free of dialkyleneglycols and trialkyleneglycols, monoalkanolamines substantially free of dialkanolamines and trialkanolamines, and alkylenediamines without ammonium chloride. It is a further object of the invention to provide an efficient, cyclic process for the production of monoalkyleneglycols, monoalkanolamines and alkylenediamines. Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the specification and examples which hereinafter follow.